SEPTEMBER 28, 2011 | Testimony by MATTHEW BROUILLETTE

Transportation Funding Must be Tied to Reform

Governor Corbett's Transportation Funding Advisory Commission identified the dilapidated state of Pennsylvania's roads and bridges and future infrastructure needs.  Pennsylvania routinely finishes among the worst states in rankings of road conditions, and among the highest in the number of structurally deficient bridges.  Yet P

JANUARY 17, 2011 | Policy Report by COMMONWEALTH FOUNDATION

80 Ideas for a Prosperous Pennsylvania

A Blueprint for Transforming the Commonwealth

Pennsylvania must undergo a rapid transformation to reverse the poor policy decisions that have eroded economic freedoms and brought the state to its present condition.  To provide a roadmap for success in this critical endeavor, the Commonwealth Foundation has compiled a list of 80 policy recommendations for Gov. Corbett and state legi

AUGUST 17, 2010 | Commentary by NATALIE ROGOL

Time to Exit Rendell's Road to Higher Taxes

Governor Rendell has proposed a series of tax increases to fill a $415 million transportation funding deficit created when the federal government rejected his plan to toll I-80 for a third time. The state's highway system is in sorry condition, but not because taxpayers pay too little. Pennsylvania spends more on transportation

JUNE 23, 2010 | Testimony by MATTHEW BROUILLETTE

More Reforms Before More Revenue in Transportation

Testimony before the Senate Transportation Committee

Good morning and thank you Chairman Rafferty for the invitation to testify before your committee and for your consideration of our policy solutions to help address Pennsylvania's transportation infrastructure funding challenges. While many in this building and in the transportation industry view Pennsylvania's transportation infrastructu

MAY 3, 2010 | Policy Points by COMMONWEALTH FOUNDATION

Transportation Special Session Survival Guide

Gov. Rendell has called a special session of the Pennsylvania General Assembly to discuss transportation funding. Here are some resources on financing and managing Pennsylvania's transportation infrastructure.

APRIL 14, 2010 | Commentary by MATTHEW BROUILLETTE, NATHAN BENEFIELD

Transportation Funding Solutions Require Reforms and Reprioritization

Now that the federal government has rejected the ill-conceived plan to toll I-80 for a third, and supposedly final time, Gov. Rendell and the General Assembly must implement serious solutions to the Commonwealth's transportation funding challenges.

MARCH 9, 2010 | Commentary by MATTHEW BROUILLETTE

For Whom The Turnpike Tolls

Tolls are appropriate because they are imposed directly upon travelers for their use of roads.  However, the plan to toll I-80 represents more than a toll.  It is also a tax on drivers because more than $160 million in toll dollars from the highway will be funneled to mass transit systems, primarily in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.&

JANUARY 26, 2010 | Commentary by NATHAN BENEFIELD

Five Alternatives to Tolling I-80

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) continues its push for federal approval to toll Interstate-80, claiming that without it bridges will collapse, highways will crumble, and dogs and cats will start living together.  But the proposal represents little more than a tax on I-80 drivers, as 40% of the toll revenue would be diverted to ot

DECEMBER 29, 2009 | Commentary by DICK THORNBURGH

A Road to Savings: Abolish the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission

The top-heavy PTC, with more than 2,000 employees, is responsible for overseeing an exponentially smaller infrastructure than PennDOT. The PTC manages 537 miles of turnpike highways; PennDOT manages nearly 40,000 highway miles along with tens of thousands more miles of local roads, railways and bridges. There is an obvious opportunity to merge t

DECEMBER 16, 2009 | Commentary by KATRINA CURRIE

Five Threats to Pennsylvania's Prosperity

Pennsylvania has long been one of the most economically stagnant states in the nation. For the period 1991-2008, the Commonwealth ranked 45th in job growth, 46th in personal income growth, and 47th in population growth. Pennsylvania has also faired poorly in independent evaluations of states' business climates, i